Fuel Fighters: The U.S. Military Is a Gasoline Glutton

By

Isabel Ordonez

Nov 10, 2009 4:27 pm ET

America’s far-flung fighting forces can add a new enemy to their list: runaway energy consumption.

Associated Press

A new study by Deloitte, the global consultants, says the average U.S. soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan consumes 22 gallons of fuel per day – nearly three times more than grunts in Vietnam some 40 years ago.

The increase in fuel consumption per capita – which is expected to grow 1.5% a year through 2017 – has been driven mostly by the amount of increased use of four-wheeled vehicles and heavier gear in contemporary warfare. Improvements in fuel efficiency and the widespread use of nuclear energy – in aircraft carriers and submarines – have helped cut fuel consumption. But increase reliance on unmanned drones and “up-armored” Humvees have more than offset those savings.

In addition, the complicated task of carrying fuel all the way to the frontlines increases the cost of fuel to about $15 per gallon. That doesn’t even include the cost of protecting fuel convoys which results in “forcing costs even higher.”

No wonder the armed forces are so keen on trying out alternative fuels. At these prices, even cellulosic ethanol and algae fuel could seem economic. The long and costly supply lines …